Safety device for railway switch and signal apparatus.



L. GRIFFITH. SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1906.

PatentedDe. 8, 1908.

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LAWRENCE GRIFFITH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

FEDERAL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITGI'I AND SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908;

Original application filed November 5, 1904., Serial No. 231,514. Divided and this application filed February 20, 1906. SerialiNo. 302,029.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Yonkers, county of WVestchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Railway Switch and Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

This application is a divisional of my ap- 231,51l, filed November 5, 1904.

My invention relates to railway switch and signal apparatus and its object is to pro vide safety devices for both the indicator and the motor of such apparatus.

To these ends my invention consists broadly of means whereby, at certain times, the indicator may be prevented from acting though the apparatus in "otherjj" respects would be adapted to operate it.

Reference may be made to United States Letters Patent #724,180 and 776,238 granted'to me respectively March 31, 1903 and November 29, 1904.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I shall first describe in detail the manner in which I carry the same into practice, and then point out the novel features of the invention in the claim, reference being had to 'the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

The motion-plate A is operated pneumatically or by fluid under pressure, and the indicator 1 cooperates with operators quadrant 2, though without departing from my invention, an operators stroke-completingbar, well known in the art, may be substi tuted for the quadrant. The piston 5 of pneumatic motor 1V is operatively connected with motion-plate A. Pipe 7 supplies power from 'the valve X to operate piston 5 1n one direction, and pipe (3 from valve Y to operate said piston in the other direction in the usual way. Said valves X and Y are counterparts of each other, each having three ports. Ports 8 lead to the supply of compressed air or other fluid under pressure; Ports 10 lead to the atmosphere or exhaust.

Ports 9 lead to opposite sides of piston 5 of motor W. The valves X and Y are provided with pistons 11 adapted normally to .close supply ports 8 and open exhaust ports 10. Springs 12 normally hold said pistons in the position just above described. C0 operating with said pistons 11 are magnets X and Y, so that when id magnets are energized. pistons 11 will close exhaust ports 10 and open supply ports 8.

Upon the movement of the operators quadrant 2, bridge 14 will be brought into contact with springs 15 and 1G, and valve X will be opened to admit compressed air by pipe 7 to motor IV, as follows: wire 17, relay 91, wire 18, contact springs 15 and 16, bridge 14, wire 19, contact sprin s 20 and 21, bridge 22, wire 28, magnet X wire 24 to battery, so that armature X of magnet X will be raised, and, by energy supplied through valve X and pipe 7, piston 5 will be moved and will carry with it inotion-plate A and switch or controller M, thereby breaking connection between contact springs 21 and 20 and making connection between contact springs 25 and 26 by bridge 27; and breaking contact between springs 28 and 29 by bridge 30 and making cont-act between springs 31 and 32 by said bridge 30. In this position, roller 33 will abut against shoulder 31 of the slot in the quadrant 2, and said roller 33 will be raised by the action of indicator 1, which is energized as follows: wires 17, 35, 36, 37, solenoid or indicator 1, wire 38, contact springs 39 and 10, bridge 11, wire d2, contact springs 31 and 32, bridge 30, wire 98 to ground or battery. It will be understood that stops 51 and 51 operate to move bridge 41 during a portion only of the stroke of rod 52, which rod is mechanically connected with quadrant 2 and moves with it carrying bridge 1 1. The said relay 91, being connected in series with the circuits of magnets X and Y, as abov described, is energized whenever current is on the'circuit of either of said magnets X and Y, and it will be understood that when said relay 91 is energized the circuit of solenoid 1 will be broken between wires 36 and 37. I sometimes provide relay 91 with additional windings of higher resistance than that connected with wires 17 and 18, and connect such higher resistance by wires 44 and 45 in parallel with the circuits of magnets X and Y and in parallel .With the low resistance'wv'inding..1n such case should an abnormally operating ircuit containing the lower windin causmg the blowing out of fuse P, the re ay 91 would still act to hold open the circuit of solenoid 1 by the action of the upper winding, but normally the upper winding merely aids the lower Winding in doing its Work. It will be seen, therefore, that by the action of relay 91 the electric connection of solenoid 1 will be broken When there is energy on the circuits of either of the magnets X or Y.

Of course, I do not limit myself ,to either a series or a parallel electrical connection, nor to a return to battery by metallic circuit as distinguished from grounding.

What l'claim and desire to secure by Letlarge'current be sent through the ters Patent is:

In app'aratus for operating switches, signals, and the like, comprising an electric indicator and a motor for the motion-plate or device to be moved, electric means separate from the indicator for preventing the action of the indicator'while there is energy supplied to said motor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of February, 1906.

LAWRENCE H. V. N (PHILIP, J. F. BOUDREAU. 

